By Nyesha Stone Let’s be honest, America was built on the back of Black people. Our style and our ideas have helped shape society, but the country and by extension the world have seemingly forgotten to include us in the history of how American came to be. We are more than just slaves, and author, […]

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia For Dream Hampton, who served as executive producer of the much-talked about “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary, the explosive revelations in the film were just the tip of the iceberg. Hampton said there were many things she couldn’t talk about and will never discuss because it’s “so dark […]

By Ana Martinez-Ortiz For decades, photographers have used their cameras and their skills to capture the essence of the human spirit. It’s through these tangible memories, that people can get a sense of what was happening at that particular moment. Back in August of this year, the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) announced its new exhibition, […]

By Nyesha Stone Being a woman isn’t something that’s easily defined, yet society tends to put all women into one box—with the assumption we all share the same experience. As women, we’ve been taught to ignore our differences, when in reality we should be sharing our stories as women not only with the world but […]

Jenifer Lewis Shares Secrets to Hollywood Success in New Memoir By Lauren Poteat (NNPA Newswire Contributing Writer) Jenifer Lewis, affectionately nicknamed “Auntie” in Black Hollywood, recently made a special appearance at the Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. where she shared the trials, tribulations and triumphs of her journey to superstardom, while […]

by Patrice Gaines Urban News Service No one knew what First Lady Michelle Obama would choose to wear on stage at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. That decision is generally a secret kept from the public–and designers–until she appears under the spotlights. And when she stepped out onto the stage that historic night, the First […]

Newest Black American Girl Doll, Melody, Sparks Look Back At Addy’s Debut By Haleema Shah This year, American Girl, known for its historically themed children’s books and mail order dolls made an announcement – it would add a new doll to its historic line. The doll, named Melody Ellison, would be a 9-year-old African-American girl […]

By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic In just his second feature film, writer/director Barry Jenkins tells a compelling story about sexual repression and ambiguity through the eyes of a vulnerable and confused little boy, who grows up to question his sexual identity as a teen and then finds a thin measure of serenity as […]

By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic The New York Film Festival celebrated its 54th year by trying something new. For the first time in history, its Opening Night World Premiere was a documentary. Even more noteworthy, this non-fiction film is by director Ava DuVernay (Selma) and it focuses on America’s deep problem with its […]

By KP Whaley The Milwaukee Film Festival is celebrating its eighth year with more than 500 different events to choose from. It began last Thursday, Sept. 22, and continues through Thursday, Oct. 6. The festival’s artistic and executive director, Jonathan Jackson, said it’s his goal to have the event be as well-known and attended as […]